Missing
by Lady Azuha
Summary: Halfway through with his epic quest to save the world from Demise, Link takes a little time to rest. Our weary hero can't help but to think of the past... and realizes something he hadn't even noticed before.


How long had it been ? A few hours ? Maybe days ? I couldn't tell acurately, but I know it had been a while. A while that seemed like months in my head. Months I spent alone, down here on the surface, looking for her. If she hadn't been my best friend, I would probably be back in Skyloft by now. I wouldn't be worried to death about her, wondering if she's alright or not. I wouldn't even bother being here to try and find her so I could take her home.

The more I thought, the more my thoughts turned to be grim. I felt lonely, powerless, even. But I guess those are normal things to feel when you're far away from your missing best friend, and that you're trying to save her… and that everytime we were about to be reunited once again, she only slipped away before I could tell her how happy I was to see she was alive and healthy.

Exhausted, I had to push myself to take another step, no matter if it was small or large. It hurt. A lot. My entire body ached from the harshness of this whirlwind of events I was thrusted into. I had to drag my feet on the ground. The weight of the Master Sword and the Hylian Shield I carried around with me pulled me down at every step I'd take, only making everything I was doing hurt me so bad. But soon enough, I managed to reach the rocky, uneven wall of the small cave I had chosen to settle in for the night, leaning against it on my shoulder, and reached into one of my adventure pouches to pull out a bottle of red potion. At least this would kill the pain for now… so I drank it thirstily until not a drop was left before putting the empty bottle away.

Laboriously, I succeeded in setting my sword and shield onto the ground, leaning onto a big boulder that happened to be resting close by. I then let my back slip down the rocky wall of the cave so I could sit down, hissing slightly as by back started to ache. And I thought the potion would've made the pain easier to live with… I felt my eyes were getting heavy, I was so tired of this… All I really want is quite simple.

_I wanted to find Zelda. And go back home with her._

I felt a tear drip down my cheek as my eyes closed. I missed Zelda so much. Her smile, her eyes, her pretty face… She had been so kinf to me when others were mean, she stood by my side when I was desperately in need of someone to help me carry on with my life. She saved me, in a way, and for that, I swore to keep her safe. But I failed at it. And now, she was trapped in that crystal, and neither of us could tell if she would, one day, be able to simply wake up from the millenniums of slumber she had to go through to keep the seal that bound the Imprisoned strong. We simply didn't know, and now, I was beginning to doubt about myself. If I would actually, someday, keep the promise I made her.

With great effort, I pulled out the sailcloth I won at the Wing Ceremony, the one Zelda made herself. I forced my eyes to open, looking down to it. It felt so soft in my hands, the details she had put into it were simply stunning, and… _it smells just like her…_

My heart filled with sorrow at that thought. Would I ever see her again ? Would I ever get to see smile once more ? I couldn't know. And the more I thought of Zelda, the more my eyes filled with bitter tears. I hugged the sailcloth so tight against myself my shoulders started aching, shoving my face into it.

"I miss you so much, Zelda !" I cried.

Yes, I admit, I cried. I cried because all this was just so much to bare on my own. It felt like so long since I last saw her, and now I had to save her from something that, just a few weeks ago, was completely unknown to the both of us.

"I can't do this anymore ! I just want you to be safe, but you're in danger. I've failed, yet you still have full trust in me… I don't know how you can do that, Zel, even after that…"

No matter how many times I heard my consciousness tell me to 'man up', I refused to let go of the sailcloth my best friend had made herself. It was the one last thing that still connected us to each other beside our friendship. I don't know why, but when I hek it like this, I felt safe, as if someone was here, with me, to protect me from everything and stand by my side. It was a feeling I'd get… when Zelda was around.

_And I love that feeling._

She may be far from me, but, as long as the sailcloth stays with me, a part of her follows me wherever I may go. This thought made me smile ever so slightly, although tears still trickled slowly down my face.

"Zelda…" I whispered. I looked outside the cave toward the Sky, my gaze then turning to the bright full moon that hung high up in the midnight sky. "Do you remember that promise I made you before you whent to sleep…? Well, I'm going to keep that promise. I'll be the one to wake you up, when all of this is over. When it'll finally be over…"

I closed my tired eyes, and yawned a little. I burried my face back into the sailcloth, taking in Zelda's scent as my tears were dampening the soft fabric lightly.

"I'll be able to take you home… and you won't be gone missing anymore…"

Those were the last words I was able to whisper, since, soon after, I fell sound asleep, leaned against the rocky, uneven wall of the cave. For once eversince this all started, I didn't feel so lonely. I felt like Zelda was watching over me. Like she had been there, with me, all along.

_She had always been right by my side, in my heart. I was just too blind to ever see it before._


End file.
